Beijing (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday that China is “shocked” and condemns the tragic deaths of five journalists among at least 20 people who were killed in the recent Israeli strike on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
Yesterday’s strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis killed twenty people, including five journalists, prompting global criticism. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu described it as a “tragic mishap,” whereas US President Donald Trump expressed he was “not happy about it.”
What did China say about the Israeli hospital strike?
During his daily press briefing, when asked about the Israeli strikes, Guo Jiakun said,
“We are shocked and condemn the fact that medical personnel and journalists have once again unfortunately lost their lives in the conflict.”
“We express our condolences to the victims and our sympathies to their families.”
“China is highly concerned about the current situation in the Gaza Strip,”
Guo expressed, also saying Beijing denounces
“all actions that harm civilians… including acts of violence against journalists”.
“Israel should immediately stop its military operations in Gaza, achieve a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible, fully restore the entry of humanitarian supplies, prevent a larger-scale humanitarian crisis, and work to ease tensions as quickly as possible,”
He said.
How did global media organisations react to journalist deaths?
The media organizations condemned the violence, reinforcing the central importance of journalists reporting on the conflict as it occurs. They all called on the Israeli authorities to take accountability and investigate the killings. Reuters, Associated Press, and Al Jazeera made statements mourning their fallen fellow journalists, including the journalists killed in an Israeli strike against the Nasser Hospital, Khan Younis, Gaza.
Why is Gaza the deadliest conflict for journalists on record?
The situation in Gaza is especially dangerous for journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reported that almost 200 media workers have been killed while working to cover the nearly two-year-long Israeli bombardments. Reports indicate that the Israeli military has killed over 240 journalists, mostly Palestinian, with some admitted targeted assassinations of journalists.
